Six in 10 adults are overweight or living with obesity, according to a new survey.

Research by Slimming World has also found 57% of people are unhappy with their size.

This survey has also shown that one in five children in Ireland are overweight or living with obesity.

HSE Clinical Lead for Obesity Dr Donal O’Shea told The Pat Kenny Show that people are often at their heaviest weight at the start of January.

“Most of us have put on a few kilos over Christmas and the festive season and need to make a bit of a conscious effort to make small changes,” he said.

“If your weight is generally healthier, just a little bit overweight, then small changes, you can lose 5% over a couple of months and you're back to your healthiest weight.”

Weight loss medications

Dr O’Shea said he doesn’t believe the availability of medications to help with weight loss is a bad thing.

“The issue is now that we understand obesity so much better, we know that people who are living with obesity, they too can lose that 5% with lifestyle change but not any more than that with lifestyle change,” he said.

“The fact that we've reached the point of having treatments for the disease of obesity is incredibly positive.

“Historically, it has transformed our relationship with any disease when you develop treatment, because you then understand the disease better.

“So I think it needs to be viewed as an exciting step.”

"Prevent obesity developing"

However, medication must not stop us “taking the simple measures that will prevent obesity developing”, Dr O’Shea said.

“That involves looking at the food environment and that snake in the petrol station and the motor stops where you can't pay for your petrol without walking through a sea of high fat, high salt, high sugar, foods.

“I think you've got to acknowledge that food environment is driving it and try and do what you can do for you and your family to make healthier choices easier for everybody.”

"Making the small changes"

People aged 24 to 34 are in the age bracket where you put on the most weight in your life, Dr O’Shea said.

“That's for multiple reasons - first job, maybe first kid, maybe first encounter with grief,” he said.

“But that is a decade in which you really should be focused on making the small changes that will give you what is a healthy weight for you.

“We know that you can be healthy at any weight, so there are people who technically are normal weight, but their lifestyle is very unhealthy, and they're not healthy individuals.

“There are people who have obesity by definition in terms of their weight, but are actually physically active, eating very healthily and are healthy.

Dr O’Shea emphasised that there are “two sides to the coin” when it comes to weight and health.

Lady standing on scale. Image: Alamy

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